We took another detour on the way to Budapest--this time to a 900 year old monastery in the Hungarian countryside called Pannon Halma. While we got there just in time for the last tours, the tour itself was given in Hungarian (a language unrelated to any of the Germanic, Romantic or Slavic languages that surround Hungary). And while we could not understand anything, the monastery itself (still actively functional) and the view of the countryside from the hill that it is perched atop was worth seeing.

We finally arrived in Budapest and checked into the Kempinski on the Pest side of town. We did find some nightlife that evening, having dinner in this happening area by our hotel lined with dozens of restaurants and bars in Pest. We also made our way to these large outdoor beer gardens/house music clubs situated on Buda side of the Danube. Alas, while the scene was lively, the language barriers proved insurmountable!

The next morning we played tourist once again, walking about the old city, with the best of them and even taking in a sightseeing cruise...Another beautiful European city by a river! But Navin wanted to spend more time in Wien so it was back in the car at the end of the day to drive back to Austria.